History: The Arguments We Have About the Past

슠 슠 슠History is not about the past; it is about arguments we have슠about the past. 슠 슠Ira Berlin, The Long Emancipation I’ve been visiting Santa Fe, New Mexico for about 30 years. 슠From the first I was enchanted by the ambiance, the weather (in all seasons), the food, the architecture, the art, the museums,…

Everything that rises must converge: Reflections on AAM2015

Remain true to yourself, but move ever upward toward greater consciousness and greater love! At the summit you will find yourselves united with all those who, from every direction, have made the same ascent. For everything that rises must converge.” Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.슠 1942.   Im not sure why this phrase Everything that rises…

#MuseumsrespondtoFerguson: What’s Authentic?

  In December 2014, in the midst of demonstrations and widespread discussion about race and racism in the aftermath of a grand jury’s decision against indicting a white police officer for shooting an unarmed black teen, 슠a group of bloggers (including this one) and colleagues posted their Joint Statement urging museums to become involved and…

Museum Hack: Worth Thinking (and Writing) About

How do you get started writing professionally?슠 How do you know what to write about? 슠 슠These were among the questions that Will Crow, writer/museum educator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I discussed recently at a program on writing as part of professional work.슠 During the evening, sponsored by the New York City…

Practical and Compassionate Advice on Museums and Community Conflict

I’m so happy to feature the following guest post from Melanie Adams, Managing Director of Community Education and Events at the Missouri History Museum and President of the Association of Midwest Museums. 슠The Missouri History Museum has been extremely responsive to all of the issues surrounding the events in August in nearby Ferguson, MO. 슠For…

Joint Statement from Museum Bloggers and Colleagues on Ferguson and Related Events

  The recent series of events, from Ferguson to Cleveland and New York, have created a watershed moment. Things must change. New laws and policies will help, but any movement toward greater cultural and racial understanding and communication must be supported by our countrys cultural and educational infrastructure. Museums are a part of this educational…